Green Fava Beans
Green fava beans also known as Broad beans, or bell beans or whatever they are called I call them delicious and healthy food..
Tag Archives: vegetarian
Eggplant and Bell pepper dip
Eggplant and Bell pepper dip
I had to clean up my produce drawer and use up some of the vegetable that were in there…I had two eggplants and colorful bell peppers. I also had poblano and anaheim pepper that I had to use before they expire…
Rice treats
Rice Treats
My granddaughter texted me few days ago and asked me if I could make her some Rice treats and of course I had to deliver….I am madly in love with her, very smart, intelligent and beautiful inside out…And I do love making treats for my kids and grandkids…
Baking cookies
After All the Banana chips cookies Banana chips cookies I made the other day were gone; (thats how delicious they were) I had to bake another batch, but this time I doubled the recipe to accommodate the demands for these delicious cookies…
Today I had a helper in the kitchen to help me bake, she is as cute as she can be, my two years old gorgeous granddaughter Bella and my one year old handsome grandson baby Isaiah!
So here is how Bella’s day went baking the cookies…
I am concentrating here!
How many cups you said!
You said to mix them by hand now? Ok I do it! I do it!!
I think they are mixed!!
I know how to scoop them out, I could do it! By the way did you notice my apron?? How cute Am I!!
Ok one more scoop…
I am working hard here for my cookies
Scraping the bowl to get the last bit of these delicious cookies…
Not me…..I am chilling watching my movie…. I don’t do kitchen!!
Checking if I got everything out of that bowl…yes I think I did…
Time to put the banana chips on top, see I am good at following recipes hehehe
I think I got them all, hummm did I? I think I have…
Time to bake the cookies…
My work here is done for now….
The apron is coming off!
I worked soooo hard today I needed a drink to relax until the cookies are done!!
Did you notice how good I am!!! I am just ignoring the photographer!! No smile here…
No matter how hard she try I am not smiling! Just ignore her…….Anywaaaay orange juice is sooooo good for you after a hard day working in the kitchen…
Yummmm juice is that good!! Ok ok I cracked a little smile for her but still ignored her at the same time… she is pushing it isn’t she?!
Yep setting here and looking as handsome as I can be watching my movie…
Which one!!!
Oh this one looks good to me, yummm!
Are you kidding I have to do the dishes? Why me!!
Here I go again doing all the work around this kitchen…
Actually I am just playing with the water hahahah I tricked that photographer…
Ask Isaiah to wash the dishes!! He didn’t do anything! Just watching his movie…look at him! He is a bum…
Sorry big sister you are on your own, just let me know when the cookies are done!! Look at me!!! See how handsome I am…
Thank you for reading my story for today, talk to you soon, love Bella…
I wanted to share this story with everyone to just show how much fun and exciting it is to have kids in the kitchen no matter how old they are… to let them help you and share the experience with them is the most rewarding feeling you could ever have..
I enjoyed the same experience with my older granddaughter Nashwa when she was Bella’s age, she just celebrated her eleventh birthday few days ago and one of the smartest young ladies you will ever meet, and becoming more gorgeous every single day I might add…she learned at a young age to love and appreciate homemade cooking and baking…
Baking cookies
After All the Banana chips cookies Banana chips cookies I made the other day were gone; (thats how delicious they were) I had to bake another batch, but this time I doubled the recipe to accommodate the demands for these delicious cookies… Continue reading
Banana chips cookies
Banana chips cookies
Today I realized that I have saved a lot of banana chips from the so called tropical mix nuts and tropical fruit bags that we buy from the health store, every time I buy a bag I realize more and more that they are just full of banana chips and hardly any mixed nuts or any tropical fruits…
Grilled Vegetables
Grilled Vegetables
These panini press you have hiding in your kitchen cabinets are not just for making a panini sandwiches, they are an amazing tool to use as a grill, last night I used it to grill vegetables and I often use it to grill steaks or chicken.
Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Recently I became a big fan of Spaghetti squash, its a healthy alternative to regular pasta.
I was really skeptical about it and about how would it taste with pasta sauce, and I always wondered what was the rave about it….but I became a believer once I had a taste of it.
Trying to have a healthy lifestyle made me try and experiment with food that I never thought of eating, but I been feeling good about choosing the healthier food for me and my family…
The first time I tried spaghetti squash was the frozen kind that I bought at the grocery store but I thought to my self it would taste a whole lot better if I make it at home and thats when I became a big fan of this delicious healthy food !
This is how I made them
Preheat oven to 440
2 large spaghetti squash
Healthy cooking spray
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Wash and dry the squash.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum paper (easy clean up), spray with cooking spray and set aside.
Cut the washed spaghetti squash in half, scope out the seeds and discard.
Spray the squash with cooking spray and sprinkle the top with salt and pepper.
Bake face down for 40-55 minuets..
Turn face up and bake for additional 10 minuets, I like them to have a chard top it adds smoky taste to the dish!
After baking let it cool for 15-20 minuets.
With a fork scrap out the inside of the squash to a bowl and you will have a delicious spaghetti ready to devour…
I packed the squash in small freezer bags to keep on hand when I need it, cheaper and healthier than the store bought version!
Enjoy!
How to cook Spaghetti Squash
How to cook Spaghetti Squash
Recently I became a big fan of Spaghetti squash, its a healthy alternative to regular pasta.
Slow Cooker Focaccia Bread
Slow Cooker Focaccia Bread
I love baking bread, but sometimes it is too hot to turn the oven on, or I have to go out shopping.
For the past few months, I been trying to utilize the use of my slow cooker more in my cooking and baking.
I wanted to bake bread yesterday but I had to go out shopping so I used my slow cooker, and it worked, bread was delicious and full of flavor.
I added fresh herbs and olive oil, it is the easiest bread I ever made!
Make the dough and let it rise for 40 minutes turn on the slow cooker and off you go.
Walking in to the house the smell was intoxicating, smell of fresh baked bread, herbs and olive oil filled up the house.
.2 cups hot milk
.4 cups bread flour
.2 tbsp. yeast
.1/2 tbsp. salt
.2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
.2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
.2 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
.2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
.4 tbsp. olive oil divided
.1 tbsp. honey
Line the insert of the slow cooker with parchment paper, making sure the side are covered, spray with vegetable spray and set aside.
In to a stand mixer bowl with the flat beater attachment add hot milk, honey, and yeast, mix until its combined, let it stand for 5 minutes.
Turn the mixer on slow; add the flour little at a time, add salt and the mixture of herbs, let it mix for 3 minutes.
Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil and mix for another 3 minutes.
The dough will be sticky.
With a bench scraper, scope the dough directly in to the slow cooker insert, speared with clean hands.
Cover with the slow cooker lid, and let it rise without turning the cooker on for 45 minutes.
After the dough is rising, brush the top with the remaining olive oil, cover it with clean kitchen towel, cover with the slow cooker lid, folding the side of the towel up on to the lid.
Turn on the slow cooker to the low setting, and bake for 3 hours.
Do not lift the lid or remove the towel until the 3 hours are up so the steam won’t escape.
Remove the bread by holding the parchment paper from both sides, let it cool on cooling rack for 5 minutes, slide the parchment paper from under the bread, and let it cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours. Enjoy!
Beef Stir Fry Noodles
Beef Stir Fry Noodles
Yesterday we went to the Asian market on the way home after work, I bought few items to use in a new recipes I wanted to try.
So tonight was a Chinese food night, but we did not order take out because I wanted to use some of the sauces I bought in my own homemade recipes!
The beef stir-fry turned out delicious, the flavor of the sauce mixed with the vegetable and the meat was amazing.
I paired it with delicious Chinese barbecue chicken, it was easy to make and it only took 40-45 minutes to get both dishes on the table, the same amount of time to get in the car and drive to pickup take out!
The stir fry dish could be made in to an absolutely delicious vegan dish by following the recipe,and substituting the beef with firm tofu.
Stir-fry
.1 Lb. thin sirloin strips
.1 bag stir fry vegetable mix 9 oz.
.1 bag of frozen stir fry mixed bell pepper and onion 16 oz.
.3 cups button mushrooms
.1 jar stir fry sauce 11.4 oz.
.1 tbsp. cornstarch
.3 tbsp. vegetable oil
.1/2 can water chestnuts (freeze the other half-in zip top bag)
.1 bag fresh Chinese noodles 9.87 oz.
.1/2 cup water
.2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
.2 tbsp. dry slivered garlic
.1 tsp. sesame oil
.1 tbsp. soy sauce
.2 tbsp. toasted sesame (optional)
Chinese barbecue chicken
.4 large chicken thighs bone in
.4-5 tbsp. Chinese barbecue sauce
.1/2 cup of water
Preheat oven 420
Add chicken to baking sheet and brush on the barbecue sauce; add the water to the bottom of the baking pan around the chicken, bake for 45 minutes with continues brushing by dipping the brush in the sauce, in the baking pan, about 4 times.
In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch and 3 tbsp. of the stir-fry sauce, add the beef and with clean hands mix until the beef well covered.
In a large sauté pan or wok on high heat, add vegetable oil and sauté the beef in single layer, 1 minute on each side, remove, and set aside.
To the same pan / wok, add the bell pepper and onion mix, sauté until all the water evaporated.
Add the stir-fry mixed vegetable, whole button mushrooms and sauté for few minutes until all fork tender.
Add water chestnuts, cooked beef, and stir until all combined.
Add sesame oil, grated fresh ginger, dry slivered garlic, soy sauce, and the remaining stir-fry sauce, mix well.
Add fresh noodles, with a tong stir the noodles in to the vegetable and the sauce mixture, add water, and cook until noodles heated through.
Add toasted sesame if you like, and serve family style. Enjoy!
Cabbage Salad
Cabbage Salad
I am on the roll these days with delicious side dishes, this one my mom made all the time growing up and I love it now as much as I loved it back then.
It is easy, simple, and healthy, that is all I could say about it.
This salad is perfect prepared a day before; the raw cabbage needs to marinade in the lemon juice and olive oil overnight or few hours before serving.
.1 medium size green or red cabbage
.3 minced garlic cloves
.1/4 cup lemon juice
.1/4 cup olive oil
.1/2 tbsp. salt
.1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
Remove the first 2 layers of the leaves, I find the first layers are not clean to use from being handled and touched by people at the store.
With a sharp knife, shred the cabbage in to thin slices making sure to remove the core and any hard rips, you could use a food processer and chop it but that’s another equipment to wash!!!
Add the shredded cabbage in to a large bowl, add lemon juice, salt, red crushed pepper, olive oil and minced garlic, with clean hands mix well until all combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for few hours or overnight.
Served with Beef Shawarma, chicken kebabs or any other meat dishes, or just by itself as a healthy lunch or dinner.
Tonight I paired it with grilled lemon chicken. Enjoy!
Corn-Bell Pepper Relish
Corn-Bell Pepper Relish
I had a leftover assorted bell pepper from the other day when I made a vegetable pizza and I wanted to use them before they expire, and I had a big bag of frozen corn, I normally buy big bags of frozen vegetables, it is cheaper that way!
I had to come up with a quick side dish that will not take a long time to prepare, and a healthy one at the same time.
This dish turned out awesome, it was delicious and healthy as a side dish to any meal, and tonight I paired it with frozen readymade chicken patties, from the freezer to the oven, cannot get simpler than that…Just keeping it real here!
Tonight I did not feel like cooking an entire meal, because I wanted to test a chocolate cake recipe I wrote the other day, and I did not want to be in the kitchen all night long after a busy day at the office…
I promise to post the cake recipe if it comes out the way I invasion it.
.3 cups frozen corn
.1 cup chopped green bell pepper
.1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
.1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
.1 tbsp butter
.3 tbsp olive oil
.1/2 tbsp salt
.1/4 tbsp black pepper
.1/4 cup whipping cream
.2 medium shallots chopped
.1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
.1 tsp grated fresh ginger
.1 tsp lemon zest
In a large skillet over high heat, add olive oil and butter, add chopped shallots and the mixture of bell pepper, sauté for 2-3 minutes or until slightly brown.
Add salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, grated ginger, lemon zest and mix well.
Add corn and cook for 2 -3 minutes just to heat it through, add the whipping cream and cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.
This recipe could be completely transformed in to vegan dish, by replacing the butter with coconut oil and the whipping cream with coconut milk, its equally delicious. Enjoy!
Vegetable Relish
Vegetable Relish
We have our favorite Mexican restaurant that we go to for our date nights dinner, hubby and I sometimes order fish tacos, and with it comes a delicious mix of sautéed vegetable.
I created my own spin on the dish, and guess what he said my dish tasted better, I was very happy to hear that.
I added garlic and lemon juice, it gave it a slight of freshness, and it did taste better than the restaurant version.
I also added white wine; and once it was reduced, the flavor was amazing.
It is such an easy and healthy dish to make at home, and it took no time at all to prepare it, it is truly an easy side dish to make for dinner on a busy weeknights.
.2 medium size Italian zucchini
.2 large zucchini
.3 large carrots peeled
.1 cup of fresh cut green beans
.1/2 tbsp. dry basil
.1/2 tbsp. salt
.1/4 tbsp. black pepper
.3 tbsp. olive oil
.2 cloves of minced garlic
.1/2 cup alcohol free white wine
.Juice of half a lemon
Wash and dry all the vegetable.
Cut both type of zucchinis and carrots lengthwise, turn, and cut to thin sticks.
Try to cut the vegetable in to the same size, in order for it to cook at the same time, but do not fuss over it.
On high heat, heat olive oil in large sauté pan, add carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Stir occasionally, add zucchini, cut green beans, salt, and cook until soft about 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic, dry basil, black pepper and cook for few seconds, add white wine, lemon juice and stir well, let it reduce uncovered for few minutes.
Serve with baked chicken or baked fish, Enjoy!
Baba Ghanoush
Baba Ghanoush
Baba Ghanoush is one of the most famous dishes throughout the Middle East, in fact the entire world.
It is healthy and delicious to serve as a side dish with kebabs or by itself as a main dish with crusty bread or warm pita bread.
Baba Ghanoush and I been having a love affair since I could ever remember, I love making it, eating it at any time of the day; it was a happy day when my mom used to make it growing up!
This recipe is easy, delicious and full of flavor, I love adding roasted bell pepper to my mom original recipe for added flavor.
.2 large eggplant
.2 garlic cloves minced
.1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
.1/2 cup warm water
.1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
.1/2 tsp. cumin
.1 1/4 tsp. salt
.1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
.1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley divided
1/8 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. olive oil
Preheat oven broil on high.
Place the oven rack in the middle section of the oven.
Line up two small baking sheets with aluminum foil (very easy clean up later), spray with non-stick vegetable spray, and set aside.
Wash and dry the eggplants and bell pepper, cut the ends off the eggplants and make a deep slit in the middle of each eggplant for the steam to escape so it will not explode in the oven.
Place the bell pepper on one of the prepared baking sheets and the eggplants on the other one, broil side by side for 45 minutes making sure turning them every few minutes.
Remove baking sheet and set aside for the vegetable to cool enough to handle.
With clean hands, gently remove the skin off the eggplant.
Remove the skin off the bell pepper, some will not come off, but that’s added flavor to the dish.
Do not wash the vegetable…
Chop the bell pepper to medium size pieces and set aside in a medium size bowl.
Place the eggplants on wooden chopping block and with a sharp knife finely chop it until you have smooth consistency.
Add to the bell pepper.
In a separate bowl combine tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, half the chopped parsley and whisk well.
Add the dressing to the eggplants and pepper mixture, stir until completely incorporated.
sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and top with paprika, and olive oil.
Serve as side dish next to chicken kebab, or just a main course with a warm pita bread and simple tomato salad. Enjoy!
Corn-Asparagus Salad
Corn-Asparagus Salad
I could never keep Asparagus long enough in my refrigerator to cook them, I always buy it and forget about it until the following weekend when I clean my drawers and say ohhhh there they are!!
So this time I made sure to keep them visible so they would be in my face every time I open the door of the refrigerator.
Also had a bag of frozen corn in the freezer I needed to start using, and had mixed colors of bell peppers and these also have a short shelf life.
So I roasted the bell peppers and added them to the corn and asparagus and this salad was born.
I paired it as a side dish with my easy to prepare chicken kebab and baba ghanoush.
Salad
.2-3 lb. asparagus chopped to 2 inches
.3-4 cups frozen corn
.2 roasted yellow peppers
.4 tbsp. olive oil
.2 medium shallots chopped
.1 tsp. paprika
.1 tsp. chili powder
.1/2 tsp. salt
Dressing
.2 tbsp. olive oil
.1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
.1 clove garlic, minced
.1 tbsp. chopped flat leaves parsley
.1 tbsp. fresh chopped thyme
.1/2 tsp salt
.1/2 tsp. pepper
.1 tbsp. lemon zest
Preheat oven broil on high.
Line up baking sheet with thick layer of aluminum foil, spray with non-stick vegetable spray.
Wash and dry bell pepper and place on the baking sheet, broil for 10 minutes or until all side blistered making sure to turn it every few minutes.
Remove and set aside to cool.
On medium high heat, in a large sauté pan, heat olive oil add chopped shallots, add salt and sauté for few minutes or until light golden.
Add chopped asparagus and cook for 3-5 minutes, mix in paprika and chili powder… In the main time peel, deseed and chop the bell peppers.
Add to the pan and mix with the asparagus.
Add corn mix and cover to cook for 4 minutes.
Make the dressing
In a measuring cup add olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, chopped parsley, chopped thyme, salt, pepper, and lemon zest, and whisk well.
Turn off the heat, add the dressing to the pan, mix well, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes for the flavor to incorporate… Enjoy!
Pudding – Mahalabia
Pudding-Mahalabia
Are you vegetarian? Do you have an egg allergy? Well this tasty treat is for you!
This delicious mahalabia always served during hot summery nights at any Middle Eastern table.
Stuffed Zucchini
Stuffed Zucchini
This dish is one of the most famous dishes in the Middle East; it is on every table at every home at any given time!
In Arabic, This dish called K-o-s-a M-a-h-s-h-I, and in Hebrew, K-e-sh-oo-ee-m.
Mahshi means stuffed, Kosa and Keshooeem means zucchini!
I love making this dish and my family loves to eat it…
It is one of the easiest dishes to make and for sure, one of the most delicious meals served at any dinner table!
To serve this dish for weeknight’s dinner, I would recommend cleaning and storing the zucchini in a colander in the refrigerator overnight; making sure it is completely dry…
For vegetarian version of this dish, substitute the meat with chopped fresh flat leaves parsley and chopped tomatoes, and for the butter substitute it with extra virgin olive oil and continue with the rest of the instructions…
In addition, I have made this dish with small cut bite size turkey for the none red meat eaters, and it is equally delicious!
I do not recommend ground beef or ground turkey, as it will disappear and become mush during cooking for some reason, for added flavor I would recommend using the chili cut size method for the beef or turkey.
I also highly recommend using short-medium grain rice for any stuffed vegetable dishes, as I tried the long grain rice, i did not find it as flavorful as the short-medium grain, and long grain rice takes a lot longer to cook than any vegetable, so the vegetables will be overly cooked by the time the rice is done.
.7.25 Lbs. white zucchini about 26 pieces
.2 lb. small cut stew / chili size beef
.1/2 sticks unsalted butter melted
.1 tbsp salt divided
.1/4 tbsp black pepper
.2 cans tomato sauce 12 oz each
.2.5 cups short / medium grain rice
In a large bowl, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, add water to cover the rice and soak for 20 minutes.
Wash the zucchini and dry with clean tea towel.
With paring knife, remove the top of the zucchini and remove only the small white part on the bottom, do that for all of them.
Gently, with zucchini corer removes the inside of each zucchini, finish all, and do not worry about breaking one or two of them it will happen, do not stress about it, they are useable.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
Wash the zucchini with cold water, set in a colander to drain.
Drain the rice, making sure all the water drained, and the rice is somewhat dry.
To the rice, add meat, black pepper, melted butter, and 1/2 tbsp. salt.
With clean hands, combine the mixture making sure the meat and the rice completely mixed so each zucchini would have enough meat in it.
Stuff each zucchini with the rice and meat mixture half way, making sure to leave about two inches space from the top for the rice to expand.
Arrange in a large pot and complete the rest.
In a large bowl combine the tomato paste and water, add two cans of tomato sauce mix well to dissolve the tomato paste, add the reminder of the salt, add the mix to the zucchini.
On high heat, cover and bring to boil, it will take about 5-10 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked…With a fork, break one of the zucchini to test the rice making sure its fully cooked, if not cover and simmer on low heat for additional 5 minutes.
Uncover and let the sauce reduce a little, about 5 minutes.
Serve hot with warm pita bread.
Enjoy!
Sauteed Mushroom
Sautéed mushroom
Mushrooms consider being the beef for vegetarians around the world, it has the same delicious taste and kind of the same texture when its cooked.
I am not a vegetarian by any means, I am a meat and potato kind of woman, but every now and then I like to have meat free meals and this one is one them!
According to medical research, mushroom has many health benefits, one of them is lowering cholesterol especially Shitake mushroom and that is one of our favorite mushroom to cook with.
This is one of the flavorful, healthy, simple and easy mushroom dinners to make in no time.
.1 1/2 lb Portabella Mushroom chopped
.1 1/2 lb Shitake mushroom chopped
.8 large Eggs
.1 tsp. Salt
.1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
.2 tbsp Butter
.1 tbsp olive oil
.1 tbsp minced Parsley
.2 medium Shallots chopped
Over high heat in a large sauté pan, add butter and olive oil add chopped shallots and sauté until golden add chopped mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, Add salt and black pepper.
Lower heat and add eggs and stir, cook until eggs are set.
Top with chopped parsley, serve with tomato wedges. Enjoy!